Iran closes Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, state media say
Israel's military called it the largest coordinated strike in the current war, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley.
Published on 08/04/2026 - 19:21 GMT+2
Iran has reportedly closed the crucial Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks by Israel on Lebanon, state media reported on Wednesday.
The move comes on the same day a two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington came into force, ending more than a month of fighting.
The Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that while two oil tankers passed through the strait with permission from Iran earlier on Wednesday, traffic has now been stopped.
One of the major points in the ceasefire agreement was that Iran would allow the resumption of shipping through Hormuz, easing a disruption in the flow of oil and gas which has sent prices soaring around the world.
Both US President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire agreement did not include Lebanon, claims denied by mediator Pakistan.
Lebanon's health ministry said that at least 112 people had been killed and 837 others wounded in a wave of air strikes launched by Israel.
Israel's military called it the largest coordinated strike in the current war, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley.
"The Israeli enemy's airstrikes on numerous Lebanese areas, reaching the capital Beirut, have led, in an updated non-final toll, to 112 martyrs and 837 wounded," the ministry said in a statement.
Israel's military said it had targeted missile launchers, command centres and intelligence infrastructure and accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields.
"The State of Lebanon and its civilians must refuse Hezbollah's entrenchment in civilian areas and its weapons build-up capabilities," the military said in a statement.
Israel has rarely struck central Beirut since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war on 2 March but has regularly struck southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.
Before the wave of new strikes, a Hezbollah official told the Associated Press news agency that the group was giving a chance for mediators to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, but "we have not announced our adherence to the ceasefire since the Israelis are not adhering to it."
Additional sources • AP, AFP
